Archive for July, 2017

Repairing compression stockings’ soles is a tremendous waste of my time. Compression stockings are expensive and holes in soles form easily. Here are some tips. If you know a better way, please let me know. I would appreciate any help.

For a run or a very small hole on the legging portion, Beacon Fabri-Tac washable fabric glue is an imperfect solution. First, make sure the glue is thin and flows easily. If not thin, add acetone as thinner. Acetone can be purchased at women’s beauty supply stores.

On a run, put a small streak at the end of the run. On a very small hole, overlay torn sides of the fabric over another, and glue, using tissue paper underneath. A small amount of tissue paper will become glue-stuck.

Beacon Fabri-Tac often stays on, sometimes doesn’t, and this causes constant regluing.
Beacon is not a stretchable glue, and this means graduated compression is affected, if a large amount is applied.

Aleene’s Flexible Strechable Fabric Glue was not strong enough to hold my Sigvaris compression stocking. I couldn’t get Aleene’s Fabric Fusion glue to work. Thank you, Aleene for sending me samples–these are quality glues, but apparently not for compression stocking. Never tried nail polish, as described in many others’ recommendations.

For big holes, as often found on the stocking soles, here is my experience. Cut a patch about half to 3/4 inch radius from the hole. This large radius distance is because otherwise, the hole may extend further. Previously used, thin compression stocking fabric patch stayed glued much better than thick compression stocking fabric. And on the sole, this thinness was far more comfortable.

First, place tissue paper under the hole or thinning part of stocking. Some paper will remain glued.

Patch should go on stockings’ outside, and place glue on the smooth side of the patch. Use thin disposable gloves when applying glue. Apply generous amount of glue onto patch, except where fingers hold patch. Press and hold patch onto stocking for about 30 seconds. Add glue to finger hold portion of patch. Press patch. Dry out for a couple of days. Inspect for failed gluing.

If the holes are on the sole, you’ll have to analyze how the holes form. What part of the shoe is causing excessive pressure on the foot? Then, try to relieve this pressure. I’ll write on this topic later.

Singing “roughly” has several different meanings, and I don’t know which you mean.

In general, singing roughly can be accomplished by pulling down on the vocal tract above the larynx. In another word, when one’s angry or sad, the entire vocal tract is pulled down slightly, and this produces a rougher sound.

The reason this causes loss of high range is because when pulling down on the vocal tract, the sounds are blocked off, quite a bit by the pulled down muscles, this methodology is more difficult for the vocal tract, and upper resonant cavities are blocked off.

To achieve AC/DC requires: 1. a very high tenor voice or 2. very capable control of the entire vocal tract, including excellent control of the head register resonant cavities. If you’re voice is naturally #1, this will simply lots of practice. If you want to learn via #2, this takes a lot of work.

If you mean, by rough highs something else…..

Highs can be achieved with volume by great resonance. All one has to do then is to roughen up the vocal tract a bit by throwing in some grit. But achieving great upper register resonance takes some special knowledge.

More of a singer-guitarist, and not much of a guitarist, but over many years, I have tried to figure out lots of issues regarding muscle tension.

Muscles can work for an extended period of time, provided one gives the muscles a chance to relax. That is, if one plays guitar with hands closed, and then doesn’t fully open the hands for an extended period of time, the muscles and tendons for the hand become overly stressed over time, resulting in diseases such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Another example, if one holds bend of left arm for an extended period of time, and later does not extend the left arm fully, then the left arm muscles and elbow tendons and ligaments can become overly taut, later causing injury.

How to stretch these bends or taut hands is a bit more complex. If one has held a bent elbow for 2 hours, the solution is not just to straight stretch the elbow for 5 minutes. If one’s hand is taut for 2 hours, the solution is not just to backstretch the fingers for 2 minutes.

I’ll later describe how to do these at my somewhat currently inactive (7/13/17) blog, VocalPosture.com. Please subscribe, if interested.

As for placement of thumb– my current view is that much depends on how one plays the guitar and the degree of one kinesiology memory. As a singer-guitarist, I’m having enough challenges trying to remember lyrics, finger-picking pattern, vocal methodology, audience engagement….. So, what I think works best is a consistent thumb position, because there is then far less thinking as to what to do in wrist when shifting from chord to chord. That is, whether playing an open A or a bar B, the wrist stays in the same position (not wrapping the wrist thumb on open A and then placing opposite bar on bar B.)